Blast-furnace casting apparatus



No. s0a,|4s. Patented July 26, I898.

M. KILLEENL BLAST FURNACE CASTING APPARATUS. 7

[Application filed Oct. 19, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

INVENTOR Wad Kiln WITNESSES No. 608,l43.. V Patented July 26, 1898..

M., KTLLEEN. BLAST FURNACE CASTING APPARATUS. (Applicatimfiled Oct. 19, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR ivrrn FFCEt MICHAEL KILLEEN, OF BRADDOGK, PENNSYLVANIA.

BLAST-FURNACE CASTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,143, dated July 26, 1898.

Application filed October 19, 1897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, MICHAEL KILLEEN, of Braddock, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Blast-Furnace Casting Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a general plan view of my improved apparatus. Fig. l is a similar view showing an extended portion of one of the troughs or runners. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the skimmer trongh.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line III III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a modified form of a dam, and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are details of different forms of shutters which are employed in the troughs.

My invention relates to the casting of metal from a blast-furnace into pigs or ladles, and is designed to largely do away with the expense, difficulties, and dangers connected with this operation. Heretofore in this casting operation metal flowed from the furnace into a short metal trough, at the end of which was located a trough of sand provided with a skimmer and dam to raise the level of the metal above the lower end of the skimmer, the runners extending from this skimmertrough being made of sand molded into form by the workmen. The construction of the skimmer-trough and of the branch runners was a difiicult and dangerous operation, since a sudden rush of metal would wash away the walls, if not carefully built, and any damp clay or scrap metal would cause the boiling of metal, a loss of the remainder of the cast, and great danger to the workmen, besides necessitating a delay in removing and replacing the troughs and scrap metal. Another difficulty was that as the bottom of the skimmer-trough must be rammed loosely, so that the gases might escape, the weight of metal upon this sand would press it down, thus bringing it to a lower lever than that of the short iron trough, allowing hot metal to flow under this metal trough and often causing explosions by contact with the Water which is liable to collect in such place. Moreover,

the sand which always adheres to the metal in such operations is very objectionable for Serial No. 655,681. (No model.)

the succeeding uses to which the iron is put. This latter objection has lately been partly overcome by employing chill-molds or pigbeds; but the runners have always been molded from sand in such cases, and as the stream of metal would carry large amounts of the sand into the chills some of the sand would be present on the pigs and would, moreover, fall into the chills,necessitating cleaning them out. In order to overcome these difficulties, I provide a permanent metal skimmer-trough having a skimming-barrierand a dam below,

the barrier and projecting above the troughbottom, the trough having a drain-opening above the dam to tap off the metal backed up by this dam. I also preferably use a metaltrough system leading to the ladies or molds, though this is not essential.

In the drawings, in which I show a preferred form of my invention, 2 represents the blast-furnace, having the usual tap-hole 3 and iron trough 4. Joined to the end of the trough 4 is the skimmer-trough 5, which is preferably of cast metal and near its upper end is provided with side offsets having grooves, within which is held an adjustable skimmer 6, which may be operated by handlever 7. In the-lower portion of this skimmer-trough is located the dam 8, which may be cast integral with the trough, as shown in Fig. 3, or may be formed of brick or clay secured in a suitable recess in the bottom of the trough, which prevents its being washed away, as shown in Fig. 4. In case a dam is used of brick or similar materials ventilating-holes may be provided in the bottom of the trough beneaththis dam.

From the end of the skimmer-trough a trough 9, of metal, leads the molten metal to the troughs 1O 10, which extend to the pig bed, and from the trough 9 a branch trough 11 leads to suitable ladle-troughs 12 12. Be-

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vided in the various runners, as indicated at 0. b 0 df, &c., by which the stream of metal may be guided and controlled as desired. In Fig. 5 I show one form of such shutter-,which consist-s of a vertically-movable metal plate or block which fits within a transverse groove in the trough, this groove preferably being lined or filled with sand, loam, or other earthy material in which the shutter will seat, thus making a tight joint and effective cut-off for the metal. In Figs. 6 and 7 I show another form, in which the metal gate is provided with a grooved edge which fits over a rib cast in the runner transversely thereto, so as to make a tight joint.

The runners may be protected from the cut- .ting action of the molten metal by a lining or luting of clay, loam, or other refractory material.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The skilled labor heretofore necessary to the molding of the skimmer-trough and runner in sand is done away with and the operation requires very little labor, and that unskilled. The skim mingis performed without any attention on the part of the workman and is free from the exhaustive labor and danger heretofore incident to such operations. The breaking out of the metal is avoided. The draining of the furnace-trough takes away much of the heat from around the tap-hole, and thus enables the workman to plug it more securely, and the adhering of the sand to the pigs is avoided.

Many changes in the form and arrangement of the troughs and gates may be made without departing from my invention, since I consider myself the first to employa permanent skimmer-trough with a dam and a drain-opening for the metal backed up by the dam.

I clairn 1. A blast-furnace skimmer-trough having a skimming-barrier, and a dam below the barrier and projecting upwardly above that portion of the trough-bottom which is beneath the barrier, said trough having above the dam a draining-opening for the metal backed up by the dam.

2. A metal skimming-trough having a skimming-barrier, and a dam below the barrier, said trough having a draining-opening in its side at a point between the dam and the barrier.

3. The combination with a blast-furnace, of a metalskimmer-trough leading therefrom, said trough being provided with a skimmingbarrier, said barrier with a dam below the same and extending up above the general level of the trough-bottom, and arranged to back up the metal in the skimmertrough and said trough having a drainingopening for the metal at a point above the dam.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

MICHAEL KILLEEN.

Witnesses:

G. I. HoLDsHIP, THOMAS W. BAKEWELL. 

